An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
